Tuesday, February 24, 2015

We were one of those tough ones, in our own small way. Our animals were guided in and out of the barn every day, even with temperatures in the teens and ridiculous wind chills. If the snow was too deep, we had to first make a path with our own bodies to get them out there.

Manure would be chipped away into the wheelbarrow and slogged out through two feet of snow and ice.

Just about every goat was pregnant or lactating, so keeping their condition up took plenty of feed. Twice as much hay and grain would be distributed to keep the animals
calories ahead of the cold.

This was kidding season. Singles, twins and triplets were birthed in this weather, dried and cleaned and cuddled in that big ole 1800's, drafty, Pennsylvania bank barn. There was always that dumb twin that had to be held under its mamma's udder till he caught on to suck that teet - for hours! Meanwhile our fingers are splitting from the milk and the cold. Or a nanny with mastitis would have to be milked, usually with a fight, sending us on our cold but well padded behinds on to frozen manure, all in this weather. And we just did it every day, no matter what. And when I was down and out with a blown knee, or we had to be away for a day or a week, our fantastic neighbors Karen or Allison did it. It had to be done everyday, no matter the weather.

You and others have asked if we miss the farm. Of course we do. It was a fantastic ten years. The lessons learned with the goats just make me shake my head to myself. A lot of you that followed the blog back then, know the stories. Stories I couldn't have imagined ten years before and truthfully, did my best to avoid by buying the easiest, mellow goat breed I could find. Nice try!

Who could imagine our "first born" dying in this weather and stupid me trying to use the loader to bury Uno when the ground was frozen solid. I did it though, even though the grave was a bit shallow after two hours of scraping and digging.

Who can forget all those wonderful births and the kids(human) and friends and neighbors that came to share the experience.

But do I miss going out on a day like today where the weather was so cold and windy that Jock doesn't even want to go out to do his business? Heck no! But Jock also is a dog in his fourteenth year and living his retirement as a house pet. He has an excuse. And he hates dog clothes! Me. I'm back to being "soft".

Remember this? So cold the eggs split.

At the same time I find it difficult to complain about the cold as most people seem to be in the Northeast. Sure, all this snow has become tedious, if not a nuisance. However, most of us get to be indoors for our daily lives and just run to a car that usually warms up on our way to the next warm place we are running into to. We don't live in the cold or work in the cold and if we have to be out in the cold, we just have to do what the farmer does - dress for it appropriately.

Last month the power company scheduled some maintenance work which turned out to be a pretty darned cold day, and the sight of all that tan Car-hart fabric brought back so many memories of the Farm Fashion blogs. Memories of those ridiculously cold days where dressing and undressing was a chore of its own. And we did it every winter day because there were animals to care for. No days off or going home early. And at the time, I really think we loved the challenge.

Today I just want to thank all the tough working farmers out there for doing the job they do in this weather, and every day, for you and me.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

This older (based on her voice) woman has been calling me
on my cell for the past month. I think
the first time I missed the call and called back.

When I said, "Hello! You called me?” she said,
"I don't know you", and that was that!

Then about once a week she continued to call. I picked up
and she said "Mary?". The first couple of times I just said, "No
Mary here. You must have the wrong number", and she would apologize and
hang up.

Just a few days ago I was getting a bit annoyed and said,
"It will always be me at this number. Maybe you need to send Mary a note
to get a new number.” She agreed and I thought that is it.

NO!

Tonight Jean called yet again.

I give her this. She is persistent.

So, being in a charitable mood (!!) I said "Perhaps
I need to help you find the correct number."

Jean was SO thrilled.

So as I went through a few searches for Mary, Jean opens
up to her new best friend and tells me how she was/is in the hospital in East
Hartford after suffering a blood clot (I translate "stroke"). She
feels she hasn't forgotten much, but maybe a few things. Hmm!

After five attempts I find a site that shows a land line,
although Jean says Mary no longer has one and is only mobile. But the name and
address and age are a match and so I CALL Mary at that number that is ONE
NUMERAL different than mine.

It rings.

Jean audibly giggles.

Well it isn't a totally happy ending yet.

And rings!

I have my land line on speaker and the cell phone on
speaker when the answering machine picks up.

And so I leave this very loud and clear message with
names and phone numbers and how Jean is really looking forward to hearing from
Mary, and I hang up.

Jean is just so relieved that you can hear her smile.

She promises to let me know what happens and that she
really owes me.

I wonder if she will remember!

--------------------------------------

Addendum:

I started this as a Face Book post and it just got so
long that I decided to finally get back to the blog.

Some of my past year has been staying with my mom who had
a revision (replacement) of one of her hip replacements one year ago this week.
It’s been a rough, rough year, especially for her. Because she is far away, I
count on the staff at her place to help her a lot. I thought about Jean after I
hung up and perhaps her frustration of trying to find her friend. My mother has
not been able to handle the phone as well as she used to, and I know she’d like
to talk to her friends more, but it’s just not that easy anymore, and I know she
also gets frustrated.

I didn't think this far ahead as it was happening, but I
hope what I did for Jean works out and that we all do something for a stranger
once in a while just because we can. No pay back - or forward!

Sunday, July 6, 2014

After the rains of Hurricane Arthur, yesterday involved more of the activities that the Fourth of July normally would have included: outdoor fun, and hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. Kristin and Jake were here for the holiday week-end while their kitchen was getting painted and prepared for new appliances and renovations.

For a little entertainment we stopped at the local elementary school playground to stretch our legs and test the swings.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Hurricane Arthur has cancelled all the fireworks around here till tomorrow, but our little firecracker is having fun in the rain and puddles. A town event for children had great attendance in spite of rain that poured at times. You would have thought that playing in the rain was a planned activity.

All the animals in the barn at Northwest Park in Windsor were visited and spoken to(Baa! Quack! Etc.) and then we got to the car before the next deluge for the ride home.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Last Saturday - the Ides of March - my father would have been 101 years old.

To celebrate his life, I scratched a few furrows in the little raised bed that was still partially frozen, and planted peas. Since then I've gotten a few more flats seeded and now its officially time for gardens to get going.

Red Currant Tomato

Pansy

My window sills have a few seedlings started in January and February, but now its time for the big push.

Lupine

The humorous part though, is I don't have a big enough garden for all that I'm starting. As a matter of fact, the yard is a mess from the garage construction, and still has a massive pile of snow from the plow.

Adeline, Shown by Julia, 0-6 Month Doe 4-H Blue Ribbon Winner

WELCOME TO ON THE POND FARM

The blog is really notes to my friends, old and new, to let you know what's going on here at the farm and in the rest of our lives. Its also a diary of sorts for myself.

I've always taken lots of photos and sent postcards from everywhere we travel, just to keep in touch. Email took over and then the digital camera. Instead of me plugging up your email, you can check in when you have the time, or want a laugh about the animals, or a picture of the beauty as I try to capture it.

Please enjoy and let me hear from you...really~

Adeline and Ariel - Twin doelings

Born February 12, 2011 to Saba

Jock

Jock our Border Collie and farm hand

Snickers

Keeping Warm

End Zone

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